PITTSBURGH -- Columbus coach Todd Richards insists his upstart team isnt in the playoffs "just to go to school. [url=http://www.

PITTSBURGH -- Columbus coach Todd Richards insists his upstart team isnt in the playoffs "just to go to school. Brent Seabrook Jersey ." Maybe, but the Pittsburgh Penguins provided a pretty valuable lesson in perseverance during a 4-3 victory in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals on Wednesday night. Down two after 21 minutes of slow and sometimes sloppy hockey, the Metropolitan Division champions responded by scoring the final three goals, including Brandon Sutters go-ahead wrist shot 8:18 into the third period. "I think we expected a tight game," Sutter said after the third playoff goal of his career. "They got up and we stuck with it. It was a good win." One that came with more than a few tense moments. Beau Bennett and Matt Niskanen scored power-play goals 45 seconds apart in the second period, erasing Pittsburghs two-goal deficit. Jussi Jokinen also scored for the Penguins and Marc-Andre Fleury overcame some shaky defence in front of him to stop 31 shots. Game 2 is Saturday night. "We have to learn from it but we found a way to win," Pittsburgh forward Sidney Crosby said. "Obviously we didnt start the way we wanted, getting down two goals. I think we have to clean up some things." If not, a series expected to be a romp could turn into something else entirely. Jack Johnson, Mark Letestu and Derek Mackenzie scored for the Blue Jackets, who remain in search of their first-ever playoff win. Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 28 saves but was handcuffed by Sutters knuckler at the end of a 2-on-1 break. "Ive seen Bob make that save a thousand times," Richards said. "It just got by him." The Blue Jackets insisted they wouldnt be intimidated despite Pittsburghs overwhelming edge in playoff experience and star power. The Penguins swept the five regular-season meetings between the teams, but Columbus surged after the Olympic break, rising to the seventh seed in the East while the injury-riddled Penguins coasted to a division title. If the NHLs youngest team was scared by the stage, it hardly showed. Johnson gave the Blue Jackets their first-ever post-season lead 6:20 into the game. He charged to the front of the net, got a feed from Brandon Dubinsky and beat Fleury with a beautiful deke from forehand to backhand. The Penguins answered with 2:51 left in the first when Evgeni Malkin -- returning after missing three weeks with a foot injury -- took advantage of a turnover by Fedor Tyutin and hit Jokinen in the slot. The knuckling wrist shot sailed over Bobrovskys right shoulder and Pittsburgh exhaled. But only briefly. With Pittsburgh defenceman Rob Scuderi off for interference, the Blue Jackets went back in front 2-1 when Letestu jammed home a rebound and sent Columbus soaring into the dressing room. "People were wondering how we would start the game with our inexperience, but we were pretty comfortable after the first period with a 2-1 lead and maybe let off the gas," Columbus centre Ryan Johansen said. Mackenzie got loose for a breakaway short-handed goal, pushing the advantage to 3-1 just 43 seconds into the second. But Columbus momentum then vanished against the leagues top power play. Bennett tipped in a Niskanen slap shot 51 seconds after Mackenzie scored. Johnson was quickly whistled for interference and Niskanen needed only 10 seconds to even the game with a snap shot from the left circle. Things settled down after the five goals in 5 minutes flurry, though Columbus didnt exactly fold. The Blue Jackets carried play at times in the first two periods. The Penguins righted themselves in the third. The miscues that plagued them for the first 40 minutes disappeared, replaced by the kind of responsible play they know theyll need to make a serious run at the franchises fourth Stanley Cup. "Nobody panicked," Fleury said. "The power play was huge for us like it has been all season. It got us back in the game and from then we were in good shape." NOTES: Pittsburgh is 10-3 in its last 13 Game 1s played on home ice. ... The Blue Jackets scratched forwards R.J. Umberger (upper body) and Nick Foligno (lower body), though coach Todd Richards said both players could be available for Game 2. ... Crosby assisted on Niskanens goal to give him 106 career points in the post-season, tied with Kevin Stevens for third on the franchise list. Stan Mikita Jersey . "I have had no discussions with Chad Johnson or his representation," Popp said Friday in an email. However, he appeared to confirm a report on Twitter from TSN this week that Johnson was on Montreals negotiation list. Patrick Sharp Jersey . According to various reports, the striker is about to sign a five-and-a-half year extension with Manchester United worth a reported 300,000 pounds a week that would see him at Old Trafford until 2019. http://www.officialblackhawksauthority.com/denis-savard-blackhawks-jersey-c-23/ . -- Hee Young Park topped the leaderboard at 8 under Friday in the suspended second round of the Kingsmill Championship. ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Matt Shoemaker is off to a successful start in the major leagues. Just ask a select group of baseballs best pitchers. The rookie right-hander won his fifth straight decision, C.J. Cron and Kole Calhoun homered in the fourth inning against Yu Darvish, and the Los Angeles Angels completed a three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers with a 5-2 victory on Sunday night. Darvish is the latest in a group of top-of-the-rotation pitchers that Shoemaker has opposed this season, including Cliff Lee, David Price, James Shields and Chris Sale. The 27-year-old Shoemaker is 3-0 in those starts with a 2.83 ERA. "Its definitely something Ill savour," he said. "As a pitcher, your focus is huge, so I think that can definitely help a little bit more. I mean, it doesnt really come into play for me -- but in the aftermath, its pretty cool. Those guys have done a lot for this game, and hopefully I can be in their shoes one day down the road." Cron went deep for the third straight game, helping the Angels pull within five games of AL West-leading Oakland. Calhoun was credited with the first run of the game on a replay reversal in the first inning that led to the ejection of Texas manager Ron Washington by plate umpire Bill Miller. Shoemaker (5-1) allowed a run and eight hits in 7 2-3 innings with six strikeouts and two walks. The only run against him came in the sixth, when his attempted pickoff throw to first hit Elvis Andrus and rolled away from Cron, allowing Leonys Martin to score. Joe Smith allowed Brad Snyders two-out homer in the ninth before Chris Gimenez grounded out to end the game. Snyder entered in the fourth after first baseman Donnie Murphy left because of soreness in his left knee. Darvish (7-4) allowed five runs and five hits through six innings, striking out nine and issuing four walks -- three of them to No. 7 hitter Hank Conger. This was the fourth time in 75 major league starts that Darvish allowed two homers in one inning -- and the third time against the Angels. He came in 7-1 with a 3.82 ERA in 11 starts against the Halos, including six straight victories. The injury-decimated Rangers remain a season-worst 11 1/2 games behind Oakland after losing for the fifth straight time and 10th time in their last 14. The play that resulted in Washingtons second ejection of the season began when Martin charged Albert Pujols hit-and-run single to centre field, and then missed the cutofff man as the ball sailed into foul territory between third base and home. Tanner Kero Jersey. Darvish alertly backed up the play and threw to Gimenez for the tag on Calhoun, who tried to score all the way from first. But Gimenez took the throw while standing in front of the dish, leaving Calhoun no clear path. And according to the new rules instituted this season by Major League Baseball to cut down on collisions, that was a violation. So when Angels manager Mike Scioscia came out to challenge Millers original ruling, the replay was checked and Calhoun was declared safe. Gimenez was charged with an error. "I saw Darvish up the line and I knew he had to make a tough play," Calhoun said. "To his credit, he put it right on the money and I didnt have anywhere to slide. I couldnt go inside or outside because there was no lane, which the catcher is supposed to give now due to this new rule. So I slid right into him. You hope you make that contact and put it in their hands and make them overturn it. And they made the right call." Washington, who lost Alex Rios and Michael Choice to ejections in Saturday nights extra-inning loss for arguing balls and strikes with umpire Vic Carapazza, came out of the dugout yelling at Miller -- who motioned to him that he wasnt allowed to argue a replay reversal. But the argument continued, and Washington was tossed. "What got me thrown out was the call that was made out of New York," Washington said. "Youre not supposed to come out and question that, but you cant stop instincts of the game from happening. And to me, that was an instinctive play. There were no intentions of blocking the plate. The ball took him there." NOTES: Shoemakers only loss came in relief against the New York Mets, when he gave up a home run to Anthony Recker in the 13th inning on April 12 at Angel Stadium. ... Darvish has allowed just three first-inning runs in his 14 starts this season. The other two also were by the Angels, on home runs by Aybar and Pujols on May 4 at the "Big A" in his 14-3 victory. ... INF Howie Kendrick, whose RBI double off Jason Frasor in the 10th inning Saturday gave the Angels a 3-2 win, got the day off. He is 0 for 19 against Darvish with seven strikeouts. ... Rangers closer Joakim Soria hasnt pitched since his last save on June 14. Theres nothing physically wrong with him. Its just that the Rangers have lost six of seven since then, and the lone victory was by a 14-8 score. 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